In the courtyard designated by the Tenryou Commission for receiving foreign envoys,
A group of people dressed very differently from Inazuma officials sat quietly, sipping tea.
The one at the front was a young man with short golden hair, his slender figure wrapped in black attire.
Judging by appearance, he could definitely be considered a handsome man.
At the moment, he was instructing those seated below.
"Lord Ruler has sent us to pass through Narukami and travel to Byakuyakoku. Make sure you behave yourselves. Do not cause unnecessary trouble."
He did not understand why the journey to Byakuyakoku required him, one of the elite of the palace guard, to lead the group—but he did not question it.
If his lord had arranged it, there must be a reason. As subordinates, they only needed to obey.
His followers responded in unison.
Right—who would dare cause trouble in a land ruled by a god?
That would be suicide.
They carried a heavy mission: to reach the archives of Byakuyakoku and retrieve ancient texts.
To ensure success, they were acting extremely low-key, afraid any disturbance might compromise the operation.
For that goal, even humiliation would be acceptable.
Fortunately, two days ago, after learning that the Khaenri'ah delegation was coming, the shogunate had shown no negligence—immediately reporting it to the Shogun and arranging proper accommodations.
The golden-haired youth was not one who liked speaking much.
After giving his instructions, he simply sat and waited patiently for the shogunate's response.
Even though it was only a request to "borrow passage," once it involved relations between nations, even trivial matters had to be formally processed.
Moreover, after the defeat of Orobashi, the lands around Watatsumi Island were nominally under shogunate control.
While his subordinates whispered among themselves—discussing Inazuma's scenery and culture—the golden-haired youth frowned slightly.
Recently, he had been unusually sensitive to disturbances in his homeland.
Rumors said that Khaenri'ah's chief alchemist—the Golden One—was conducting a grand alchemical experiment.
It was said she had glimpsed a forbidden path, a power capable of overturning the world…
A power rivaling, perhaps even surpassing, the gods.
For reasons he couldn't explain, the youth felt uneasy.
As if something catastrophic lurked in the near future.
"…Enough. These matters are not for me to worry about."
His scattered thoughts were interrupted by the approaching footsteps coming from outside the courtyard.
The Khaenri'ahn envoys fell silent immediately.
Moments later—
At the doorway appeared a young man dressed in elegant blue-black robes, followed by several shogunate officials.
Among them was the Tenryou Commission officer who had previously greeted their group.
The golden-haired youth stood at once to welcome the newcomers.
At first glance, the one leading—Lori—could not help feeling mildly surprised.
The man before him looked familiar.
And then the youth introduced himself, confirming Lori's suspicion.
"Khaenri'ah Envoy Dainsleif, paying respects to Your Highness."
The man who called himself Dain gave a polite bow.
Before arriving in Inazuma, he had studied the people of the nation.
Thus, he instantly recognized the handsome young man with an almost demonic allure.
In all of Inazuma, only two people held the title "Your Highness."
The Shogun… and the man before him.
Lori suddenly understood why the man looked familiar.
In the future, after being cursed by the Abyss, Dainsleif—if he removed his mask—would look exactly like this young man.
To think the delegation's leader was the "Twilight Sword" of the palace guard—things had indeed become more interesting.
Once seated,
Lori gestured for the Tenryou Commission officer to begin formal negotiations with Dainsleif.
He was here only to observe and gauge Khaenri'ah's intentions.
The actual conversation was between the envoy and the shogunate.
A mere diplomatic envoy was not someone he needed to personally entertain.
During the discussion, Dainsleif occasionally glanced upward, discreetly observing Lori.
"This time, we have come only to request passage through your nation, that we may reach Byakuyakoku beneath Watatsumi Island. We hope the Commission will issue us the necessary travel documents."
The request was not unreasonable.
Though Watatsumi Island was nominally under shogunate rule, in truth, it behaved more like an independent political entity.
It was governed by the Divine Priestess and various leaders chosen by the islanders.
Thus, conflicts between the island and the shogunate often flared up.
Rebellions emerged from time to time, only to be swiftly suppressed.
After hundreds of years of hostility, erasing that hatred would not be easy.
The Commission officer hesitated.
Under normal circumstances, he would agree immediately.
After all, the shogunate's rule over Watatsumi was relatively recent; many officials and citizens viewed the island as foreign land anyway.
However, before arriving, Lori had instructed him to probe Khaenri'ah's intentions.
Thus, he tactfully redirected the conversation, avoiding a direct answer.
His reasoning:
Khaenri'ah was carrying armed mechanisms, and it would be unwise to permit heavily equipped forces into Inazuma territory.
Although Khaenri'ah called them "cultivators," no sane person would believe machines resembling giant armored constructs were used for farming.
Dainsleif did not notice the subtle change in tone.
He simply assured them earnestly that they would never harm the people of Inazuma.
Given the circumstances, he even volunteered additional restrictions on their movement—declaring they were certainly not spies.
Listening from the side, Lori understood everything perfectly.
He had already pieced together Khaenri'ah's objective.
Since their destination was Byakuyakoku, their true aim could only be one thing—
The forbidden text Before Sun and Moon,
A record of ancient truths predating the era of the Primordial One.
"Truly not afraid of death…
An entire black sun dynasty, wiped out overnight."
Of course, Lori also suspected that the impending destruction might be connected to the Golden Alchemist seeking forbidden abyssal knowledge—triggering punishment from the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles.
Having figured out their motives, Lori lost interest in listening further.
He subtly signaled to the Commission officer, then rose and left with casual elegance.
The discussions paused momentarily.
Understanding Lori's cue, the officer continued navigating the negotiations—refusing several times before finally granting approval for the passage documents, albeit reluctantly.
Dainsleif exhaled in relief.
Although Inazuma would send personnel to monitor them all the way to Watatsumi Island,
the results mattered more than the process.
"We must locate what Lord Ruler and the Great Sage instructed us to find."
Recalling the grave expression on his lord's face—and the order that force could be used if necessary—Dainsleif felt a heavy sense of responsibility settle on his shoulders.
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